SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
escalation
noun
An increase in intensity, scale, or seriousness.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Increase in intensity
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topExpansion concerns scale; escalation often suggests successive increases in seriousness or conflict.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See escalation in use
The unexplained fee led to an escalation of the disagreement.
A later misunderstanding created an escalation in the dispute when a message incorrectly claimed that no replacement board would be provided.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license